Can you still smile after botox?

The use of Botox has become a credible treatment in the field of cosmetics. While the origins of Botox are somewhat worrying for some individuals, such as questioning whether you can smile after Botox, the usage of toxins from bacteria in cosmetics is one of the more trusted new developments in the field.

Botox treatments are mostly safe and have limited side effects. In addition, many of the horror stories about their usage have been blown out of proportion. A better understanding of Botox and its usage will help individuals learn for sure that you can smile after Botox.

A New Approach to Skin Care

There has always been a desire among humans to look as flawless as possible. For centuries, skin care has been maintained with topical treatments to the face. Creams, lotions, and balms have been applied under the theory that bringing moisture can help bring youthful vigor to the face and reduce the effects of aging. But in recent years, those topical applications have given way to a focus on surgical interventions.

Plastic surgeons and dermatologists have begun to explore surgeries that can solve some cosmetic needs for individuals. Many of these approaches include incisions and cutting that can have an imperfect effect on the faces of patients. Botox is one treatment in the middle ground between skin cream and plastic surgery. It is a treatment that has moved from the Hollywood fringes into the mainstream of cosmetic surgery and skin treatments.

Photo by Brandi Redd

What is Botox?

Botox is an injection of a medication comprised of a botulism toxin. This toxin comes from a bacteria often found in spoiled meat. When the botulism toxin is ingested, its ability to shut down the proper function of cells causes food poisoning. Botulism can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms and overall discomfort that may last days. But the toxin has a different effect when injected into the face. The effect of Botox is connected to how the face wrinkles.

A majority of cosmetics sales and plastic surgery fees are due to the presence of wrinkles. Wrinkling occurs when skin cells roll up and tighten. It is connected to aging because skin becomes less flexible and elastic as an individual grows older. Skin stays in the folds of wrinkles because it cannot snap back as easily into its proper appearance. A Botox injection sends the Botulism toxin directly to the facial muscles. The toxin breaks down the axon of the nerve cell and causes the cells to relax and smooth out. Since the muscles involved are paralyzed, they cannot easily form back into the wrinkle shape and have to stay smooth for a period of time. As a result, an individual’s wrinkles begin to dissipate and they look younger as a result.

What are some of the primary effects of Botox treatment?

The intended effects of Botox treatment are tighter and smoother skin. Many individuals fear that using Botox will prevent them from fully using their skin. They believe that Botox pulls the face tighter and that is how it smooths out wrinkles and prevents them from reforming. As a result, they are fearful that they will not be able to smile as a result. It is possible for Botox to result in a lower ability to move the muscles on the face. This lower mobility results from the fact that Botox relaxes the muscles under the wrinkles and paralyzes them temporarily so they do not cause more wrinkles.

The treatment is not intended to and should not prevent a person from smiling. They should be able to engage in all of the activities that they engaged in before receiving the treatment. A trained professional should be able to inject the Botox only into the muscles that directly cause the wrinkles. Avoiding muscles such as those needed for smiling is imperative. In the situations where something goes wrong and an individual suffers from more facial paralysis than intended, the treatment is far from permanent. Even the longest-lasting Botox treatments only last a few months before follow-up treatments are required. A serious complication can be maintained with other drugs until the Botox exits a person’s system.

Conclusion

Botox is not right for every possible individual. There is a possibility that a person with a compromised immune system may not be able to handle the toxin in its limited intended forms. Doctors’ visits and blood tests are required to determine whether or not an individual should even begin the Botox treatment process. But for people who are cleared to use it, Botox is often a safe cosmetic treatment that should not carry serious side effects along with it. They are most safely performed with trained professionals like Dr. Andrew Frankel*, a Los Angeles plastic surgeon recently featured in The Ultimate Guide to Cosmetic Enhancement. Dr. Frankel performs a number of facial plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures and is board certified in the field.